A/N: Hey, everyone. Before I get started on the usual thank yous, I have two quick announcements to make:
First, I've submitted a smutty outtake from this chapter for the Fics for Nashville event to support Tennessee flood victims. For a small donation of five dollars to any of their supported charities, you will receive an compilation eBook filled with one-shots by a multitude of authors, which is a pretty damn good deal, don't you think? Details and links about the event are up on my blog, so feel free to go check it out.
Secondly, I've signed up for the Fandom Gives Back: Eclipse author auction, offering up three one-shots from Edward's POV that will never be available anywhere else. There is a bidding team set up for Camisado, so if any of you would like to join, please don't hesitate to go check out the official blog for it – the link is on my profile and both my blogs.
As always, a big thank you goes out to my wifey, JMCullen, my pre-reader, sscana, and everyone else who has reviewed, favourited, recommended and added this story to their alerts. You're all amazing.
Enjoy! xx
Warm arms around me…
Kisses on my neck…
Edward…
Chest pressed against my back, legs curved against mine…
Skin on skin…
"Edward?" I mumbled as I slowly regained consciousness.
"Hello, Bella," he replied softly, kissing my neck and pushing his hips up against my behind.
"Mmm," I moaned breathily, then lazily reached up and slid my fingers into his hair to hold him in place. He smiled against my neck, then brushed some of my hair aside with his nose before nuzzling against me and kissing my neck again.
"Sweet dreams?" he asked as he slid his hand down my side, letting his fingers brush against my inner thigh. I let out a poorly stifled groan, then nodded my head.
"Good," he murmured, and before I could fully register the movement, he gently pulled my leg up over his and shifted his hips against me at the same time he bit down on my neck. I inhaled sharply in shock, then realized what was going on and let out a loud moan.
"Edward," I breathed, letting my head fall back against his shoulder. "Oh, my God."
He nuzzled his face against my neck again and held me tighter to him with one arm while he gripped my hand with the other. He slowly pulled his hips back from mine then thrust forwards again, and I let out another weak moan before gently tugging on his hair. He groaned softly, then thrust against me more sharply before easing into a rhythm that had my hips moving along with his.
"More," I whimpered after a while, clutching his hand tightly and arching my back.
"More?" he teased, then rolled us over so I was lying face down on the bed with him above me, his legs on either side of mine. I gasped with shock, but covered it up with a loud moan as his hips pushed up against mine.
"God, Bella," he breathed as he took both my hands in his, holding them against the mattress. "Feels so good."
I pushed my hips up off the bed as though making it easier for him, and he slipped one of his hands beneath me to hold me there, his fingers dangerously close to sliding between my legs. I hissed in a sharp breath, then cried out when he thrust against me again, clenching my free hand into a fist against the sheets.
"Okay, baby?" he mumbled as he kissed my neck, entwining our fingers and squeezing tightly.
"Uh-huh," I panted, nodding. He buried his face against my neck, then began to thrust his hips more forcefully.
"N-need m-more," I groaned as I slid my free hand beneath my hips to join his, entwining our fingers. He squeezed my hand tightly, pressing his chest more firmly against my back, then began to move our hands ever so slightly. I pushed my face into the pillow and moaned again, gripping the hand that wasn't beneath us even harder than before.
"Fuck," I hissed when he angled his hips slightly differently, acting as though he was hitting a different spot now. "Edward, I'm gonna…"
He thrust hard against me at that same angle, and I could feel him start to grow hard. I bit down on my lip to stifle a groan, distracting myself by focusing on what I was about to fake instead of his growing arousal.
"I'm… I'm gonna… Oh, fuck… Edward!" I pushed my face against the pillow again, making my entire body tense up as I let out a loud groan and arched my back, clamping my fingers down on his. His thrusts didn't slow, so as I weakly lifted my head again, I whimpered softly.
"Bella, I'm close," he panted, then took hold of both my hips and pulled me up onto my knees as he did the same. I whined loudly, barely able to hold myself up on my forearms, then let my head drop down and closed my eyes.
"Fuck," he groaned, pulling me back against him forcefully and squeezing my hips hard. He jerked forwards almost erratically, and I could imagine him letting his head fall backwards, just like it had in the restroom all those days ago. The thought made me bite back a moan.
His body tensed up behind me for a few seconds, and he kept his hips pressed flush against mine, as though he was climaxing, then let out a heavy breath and almost fell on top of me, catching himself with his forearms so he didn't crush me. I laughed breathily, turning my head so I could look at him out of the corner of my eye, then smiled as he leaned in and kissed me softly.
"God, I could get used to being woken up like that," I joked, taking his hands in mine and kissing his knuckles.
"I'll remember that," he teased, then nuzzled my neck before groaning as he shifted off me and rolled over onto his back, letting one of his arms come to rest above his head.
"Hey, come back!" I protested, reaching out for him. He laughed softly, shaking his head, then took my hand in his and pulled me in to him, wrapping his arm around me tightly. I smiled shyly as I slid my leg between his, grateful the sheet was somehow covering us since he was still a little hard. It's just a natural reaction, Bella.
"I love you," he murmured quietly after a moment. I looked up at him in surprise, then smiled before pushing myself higher up his body so I could kiss him.
"I love you too, baby," I told him, then gasped when he suddenly pulled me on top of him as we kissed. He smiled against my lips, and as I went to try and shift my weight off of him, he pulled me right back down onto him, bringing our hips flush together.
"Oh, my God," I breathed. I could feel him even more now. "Again?"
"Unless you're too sore?" he teased, pushing his hips upwards. My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling upwards. Damn it, Bella. You are working.
"N-no," I stammered, rolling my hips while pushing myself up with my knees. "I'm not sore."
"Come here, then," he murmured, and before I could stop him, he pulled me right back onto him again. This time, he was no longer just half-hard. I gripped his shoulders tightly and bit down hard on my bottom lip, trying to distract myself from the feel of him again. It wasn't working.
He smirked, then leaned in and pressed his lips to mine at the same time he pushed his hips up into mine, and I gasped loudly as a torrent of images flickered through my mind. Images that had been hidden for days.
His hands guiding my hips. The look in his eyes as he watched me move above him. His lips on my breasts. Whispered words. Our fingers entwined, squeezing tightly. His groans. My moans. Waves of pleasure spreading through me over and over again…
"Fuck, Edward!" I looked up at him with wide eyes, and he gazed back at me for a moment before understanding seemed to dawn on him. His lips parted in shock, but he quickly recovered by thrusting his hips upwards and wrapping his arms around me, pulling me down to him so my lips were beside his ear.
"I remember," I whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. I felt more than heard him exhale a long breath, then groaned when he turned his head and brought his lips to mine, kissing me deeply.
His tongue slipped through the part in my lips, and I let the tip of my own circle it, the euphoria of finally remembering what had happened between us and the overwhelming emotions that went with it momentarily making me forget that we weren't meant to be doing this anymore, weren't meant to let ourselves feel anything for each other. We weren't meant to get attached. But, God… I already was.
"Oh, my God," I whimpered as he pushed himself upright and guided my legs around him, bringing us even closer together. I slid my hands into his hair as he began to kiss me more urgently, but then something seemed to shift. The same kind of something that had shifted yesterday.
Fuck!
"Edward," I breathed, gently trying to put some distance between us, but he wouldn't let me. He was properly rubbing against me now, making it hard to think straight, and as his hands slipped up to my breasts, he lowered his lips to my ear.
"Bella, stop thinking," he whispered.
"I can't," I panted, then moaned when his thumbs brushed over my nipples.
"Try," he urged, but that only made things worse.
"You said we couldn't do this," I hissed, then covered it up with a cry of pleasure.
"I was wrong," he breathed, holding me tightly to him. "I need this."
"Wh-"
There was a sharp knock at the door.
"Edward? Bella? It's Didyme. Can I come in? I need to look at Edward's shoulder before I leave for brunch with Marcus."
"Fuck!" I hissed, tugging on Edward's hair in frustration. He grimaced, obviously in pain, so I moved my hands to his shoulders and pushed myself off of him.
"Give us just a second!" I shouted at the door, starting to panic slightly. Didyme had such bad timing!
Edward climbed out of bed and wrapped his arms around me from behind to calm me, then kissed my shoulder before hurrying over to the wardrobe and pulling the first shirt he saw off its hanger and throwing it in my direction along with a pair of his boxers.
"Thanks," I called as I hurriedly pulled the clothes on, not even bothering to button the shirt up properly in my haste. Once I was sure I was covered, I made my way over to the door and pulled it open, smiling awkwardly at Didyme, who was waiting on the other side, bag in hand.
"Sorry about that," I said as I gestured for her to come in.
"I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" she asked, then winked before heading over to the bed to put her bag down. I stared dumbly after her, then gasped when Edward emerged from the wardrobe in only a pair of flannel pajama pants, holding a t-shirt in his hand. Wow.
"You didn't interrupt anything, no," Edward replied, his tone light as he glanced over at me and smiled. I blushed, embarrassed at having been caught staring at him but glad he wasn't reacting negatively yet.
"If you say so," Didyme teased, then shook her head as she pulled out some supplies and set them down on our rumpled sheets. Edward held his hand out for me to take, so I quickly closed the distance between us, though instead of holding his hand like he wanted, I wrapped my arms around his waist to bring us closer together.
"Okay, well, if you sit down on the bed for me, Edward, I can get a good look at this shoulder of yours." Edward's entire body tensed up, and he seemed almost frozen for a moment, kind of like a rabbit in headlights. Oh, no. "Aro told me it was a small knife that-"
"Oh, my God!" I cried, acting shocked though I'd already guessed that had been what had done it in an attempt to divert the attention away from him. "Baby, you never told me that." Come on, Edward. Come back to me. "What the hell happened?"
"Bella, Edward can't tell you that," Didyme replied apologetically. "I'm sorry; I should have waited until you were out the room."
"I'm not leaving!" I turned to Edward and cupped his cheeks in my hands, tilting his face towards mine. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." I pushed myself up on my toes and kissed him softly, moving my lips against his as I silently urged him to respond.
After a few tense moments, his grip on my hips tightened and his lips moved with mine, but I could tell he was still on the verge of going under again.
"Di, please let me stay. I won't listen if you talk or anything. I just… God, a knife? You could have been killed!" I wrapped my arms around him tightly, then whispered for his ears only, "Stay with me, Edward."
He didn't respond for a second, but then he forced a laugh and said, "Bella, I'm fine. You don't have to stay with me."
Oh, but I did. His hands were gripping my hips so tightly, I knew he didn't want me going anywhere.
"No, I want to," I pleaded, then turned to Didyme. "I promise I'll stay out of your way."
"Alright then," she sighed, smiling. "You'll have to find somewhere to sit though."
"She can use my lap if she wants," Edward replied, kissing my forehead. I nodded eagerly, then let Didyme guide Edward to where she needed him to be before climbing onto his lap, bringing us chest to chest. His arms immediately slid around me and held me tightly to him, forcing me to shift higher up his lap. I let my own arms move to encircle his waist so they wouldn't be in Didyme's way, then buried my face in the crook of his neck and sighed softly.
"I can't believe I came so close to losing you again," I murmured, knowing Edward would catch my real meaning. He kissed my shoulder and slid one of his hands up underneath the shirt I was wearing, like he needed the skin on skin contact. I swallowed nervously, unsure if I'd be overstepping any boundaries by doing what I was about to, then quickly undid some of the lower buttons of my shirt and pushed the fabric away from my stomach.
"What are you doing?" Edward asked, laughing softly.
"Getting closer," I mumbled as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, then pressed my bare stomach to his. He inhaled sharply, then pushed down on my lower back to increase the contact, pushing our hips together at the same time.
"Thank you," he breathed softly into my ear, and as I looked over his shoulder at Didyme, who was politely ignoring our exchange while peeling back the water-proof dressing I'd stuck on his shoulder, I felt dread settle in the pit of my stomach.
"I'm just going to check the wound now, okay, Edward?" Didyme said softly once the dressing was almost entirely off. Edward tensed beneath me, but touching my back and legs seemed to soothe him a little, so I wasn't too worried just yet. I was more concerned about what Didyme would say when she saw the too-well-placed-to-be-done-by-an-amateur steri-strips on his shoulder.
"Bella, I take it you were the one who put this on him?" Didyme asked, smiling as she folded the bloodied dressing and put it in a yellow plastic bag. I nodded nervously, then watched as she turned her attention back to the wound.
Her eyes widened with surprise as she tentatively ran her fingers over the small steri-strips, and then she looked up into my eyes as some kind of emotion seemed to flash across her face. I swallowed hard. Please don't say anything, please don't say anything…
"You did well," she told me, a slight smile pulling at her lips. I smiled back at her weakly, desperately trying to calm my suddenly racing heart.
"Bella, you're shaking," Edward murmured softly after a few moments, then pushed me harder against him so he could hold me tighter. I'd almost forgotten he was there for a moment.
"Do you not like blood, Bella?" Didyme asked. "I'm so sorry – I should have warned you."
"N-no, it's okay," I assured her, then buried my face back in Edward's neck. It was strange; before yesterday, I would never have dared to allow myself to take so much comfort in the closeness of our bodies. What had changed?
"Everything looks okay here, Edward," Didyme told him softly. I smiled against his neck, feeling immensely proud of myself though I knew I shouldn't be. "I'll just clean some of the dried blood off and then put another dressing over it to keep it protected."
Edward nodded blankly, tensing beneath me again as Didyme prepared to clean the wound. I swallowed audibly. He was going to go under again.
"Remember that night?" I murmured against his neck, hoping to distract him. He squeezed my hips in response, waiting for me to continue as Didyme began to clean the blood off his skin.
"You looked incredible in your slacks and shirt," I told him, shifting my hips against his. "Remember how I couldn't keep my hands off you when we got back to the bedroom?"
He inhaled sharply, realizing what I was referring to now.
"And… do you remember how amazing it felt? To be with each other that way?" I whispered, then shifted against him again, pressing my body more firmly against his as I moved my lips to his ear and lowered my voice. "I want you to hold on to that. And know that I've never felt more alive than I did then."
"Bella…" Edward breathed as he slid one of his hands up my back while the other ground my hips down against his slightly.
I swallowed audibly, noticing that Didyme was almost finished. "Don't think about anything else for now. Just remember."
"You can't say stuff like that to me, Bella," Edward choked out, and as I moved one of my hands round to press my fingers against his chest, I brushed against the hard evidence of what my words had done to him.
"Why not?" I asked. "It's the truth."
Blushing, I pressed my face against his neck again, both annoyed and elated that I'd said what I had. Where had that come from? I was never this bold. I wanted to comfort Edward, yes, but to spew all of that? It was a relief and a weight all at once.
"Bella… Baby…" Edward rested his cheek against the side of my head and splayed his hands against my back as he let out a deep sigh, the warmth of his stomach making me shiver.
"Alright, I think you're done now, Edward," Didyme said softly, interrupting our moment. "It shouldn't take too long to heal, I hope – you're lucky."
"Thank you, Didyme," Edward replied earnestly as I heard her start to pack up her things, getting ready to leave.
"You don't need to thank me," she chided. "You just take care of you and your girl, alright?"
"I will," he promised. I felt Didyme move from the bed, and was immediately struck with a thought.
"Di?" I called, lifting my face from Edward's neck. "If we need you again…"
She looked at me pointedly, and I knew she'd understood what I'd meant. "Just text me and I'll come as soon as I can," she swore.
"Thank you," I said weakly, then smiled before lowering my face again and holding on to Edward tightly. My entire body was shaking, from both fear and anticipation. Part of me wanted Didyme to stay, to delay the inevitable awkwardness that would fall upon me and Edward when she left, but the other, more dominant parts of me wanted her gone so we could try and talk this out at least a little. And fuck, I was nervous.
Edward kissed my shoulder gently, then bade goodbye to Didyme, who said she'd show herself out. I knew I was being rude by barely acknowledging Didyme the way I was, but my mind was in a tailspin right now, and I couldn't focus on anything other than the feelings whirring around inside of me and the warmth that Edward seemed to exude. Inside and out.
Since I wouldn't be in anybody's way anymore, I wrapped my arms around Edward's neck, making my breasts press more firmly against his chest, then sighed as the suite door clicked shut, signaling Didyme's departure.
"Bella?" Edward whispered softly after a few moments had passed. I nodded against him, bracing myself for all hell to break loose or for him to get mad again.
"Look at me please," he murmured. I shook my head, suddenly petrified, and he sighed before saying, "Look at me."
I swallowed nervously, then slowly leaned away from him slightly before reluctantly lifting my gaze to his. His expression was intense, but I couldn't decipher it. I didn't know if he was angry… if he was frustrated… Nothing.
"Bella," he began, keeping his voice low to avoid it being picked up by the microphones. "When you said you remembered… Just how much of it did you mean?"
"I-I," I stammered, completely flustered. I hadn't been expecting that. Edward ran his hands up and down my back soothingly as he awaited my reply. "I remember all of it."
"Everything?" he asked softly. I still couldn't gauge his reaction.
"Yes," I told him, making my tone match his. This could end up being a very dangerous conversation if we weren't careful.
"… And?" he wondered as his hands slid round to my ribcage, his thumbs barely grazing the undersides of my breasts.
"And…" God, should I say it? Should I tell him? What's the worst that can happen? "I still don't regret it."
"You don't?" He seemed… relieved?
"No," I told him truthfully. "My only regret is that I was inebriated while it happened and couldn't remember until now because of it."
"Are you… sure?" His gaze was even more intense than before now, and his tongue swept over his bottom lip as his eyes quickly darted down to my lips and back again.
"Yes." I swallowed again, then asked, "Do you… regret it?"
"No," he breathed, shaking his head. "No, I do not."
I exhaled a sigh of relief. It was like this great weight had suddenly lifted from my shoulders. I had no idea what this would mean for us, if anything, but knowing that he didn't regret it was just… I breathed out a soft laugh, and was quickly cut off by Edward's lips as they pressed softly against mine.
"We need to talk about this," he muttered between kisses. I nodded in agreement, sliding my hands into his hair and eliciting a soft moan from him.
"Later though," he sighed, gripping my ribcage just a little bit tighter and guiding me closer to him. I'd never been gladder that the bruises there had healed before in my life.
"Uh-uh," I mumbled, nodding weakly as our lips parted and the kiss became more… everything.
"Bella, what are you doing to me?" he breathed as he deliberately ground my hips against his, letting me feel exactly what I was doing to him. Physically, at least.
"Apart from turning you on?" I teased, then cringed when I realized how pathetic that probably sounded. He didn't seem to mind though, for he let out a gentle moan and slid his hands beneath the boxers I was wearing, moving them down to cup my ass, his fingertips a teasing distance away from where I was wet and aching.
"I need you," he whispered, and I couldn't help but gasp when he suddenly pushed me flush against him and slipped his fingers further round, barely grazing my folds.
"Edward!" My voice sounded ridiculously high even to my ears, but I was too turned on to be embarrassed, especially when Edward groaned into my mouth and pulled his hand away. I whined in protest, pressing my lips harder against his, then felt my eyes roll upwards when he slid his hand down the front of the boxers this time, his middle finger slipping inside me with ease.
"Oh, my Go-" I moaned, but cut myself off with a gasp when there was a sharp, loud knock at the door.
Edward and I both groaned in frustration at the same time, and as tempting as it was to just ignore whoever the cock-blocker was, their next knock was even louder than before, meaning it must have been something urgent.
"I can't believe this," I hissed, then whimpered when Edward pulled his hand from me, brushing over my clit as he did so.
"Rain check?" he whispered. I nodded reluctantly, then sighed as he kissed me softly before gently guiding me off his lap again.
"God, you're so…" He trailed off, shaking his head, then pressed his lips to mine once more before adjusting himself and moving towards the door, which was still being knocked on. On impulse, I reached for his hand and pulled him back to me, palming his erection.
"Bella," he choked out as he gripped my wrist to stop me moving. He was so hard….
"I just… wanted to see," I replied, blushing. I needed to know he was as affected as I was.
"And feel?" he teased, then winked before hurrying over to the door. I laughed softly, bringing my hands up to cover my mouth, then rushed into the wardrobe to shield my half-naked body from the view of whoever was at the door.
"Royce, how nice to see you!" I cringed at the sound of Royce's name, grateful I'd run when I had the chance. I grabbed some underwear and one of the more modest dresses from my section of the wardrobe and quickly began to change. "Give me just a sec to make myself de-"
"Was I interrupting something?" Ugh. Just the sound of this voice made me want to hurl.
"Um… just a bit," Edward replied, keeping his tone light.
"I'm sorry, my man." Edward's not your fucking man, you creep. He's nothing like you. "I'll let you, uh… sort yourself out. Mind if I wait here?"
"Sure. I'll be right back."
I swallowed nervously, hurriedly pulling up my panties, then breathed out a sigh of relief when Edward came through the doors, his discomfort obvious.
"It's Royce," he said, as if I didn't already know. I nodded in understanding, opening my arms for him to step in to as he approached. "Fuck, people have bad timing today."
"You're telling me," I huffed as he wrapped his arms around me tightly, his erection pressing against my stomach. He hissed in a breath at the contact, his fists clenching against my back.
"Is that… painful?" I asked, worried.
"Sorta," he ground out.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, moving away awkwardly. "Do you want me to, um…"
"You don't have to do that, Bella," he said softly. "Rain check, remember?"
I nodded weakly, smiling up at him. He leaned down to kiss me quickly, then glanced towards the wardrobe door.
"I'll go keep him entertained?" I offered as I turned and reached up to take my dress of its hanger.
"Uh-uh-uh," Edward chided, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back to him.
"What?" I asked, frowning.
"He wants to speak to me, not you," he replied as he slipped his arms around my waist, his hands dangerously close to my ass. "Even if he did, I wouldn't let you."
"Why?" I wondered, frowning.
"Bella, you look…" He seemed to struggle to find the right words. "Overwhelmingly tempting."
"I'd have put my dress on first," I pointed out, raising my eyebrow at him. He shook his head disbelievingly, then kissed me softly before stepping away from me and turning to grab some clothes off their hangers.
"Baby, you go pop in the shower or something while I talk to Royce. I'll come join you in a sec," he told me as he quickly changed out of his pajama pants and into something more appropriate.
"But-" I began, then quickly cut myself off before I could protest any more. He wanted to talk in private. "What if you take ages and the shower gets cold?"
"It won't," he promised as he cupped my cheeks in his hands. He gazed into my eyes for a moment, looking as though he were about to say something, but instead he just kissed me chastely and hurried out the wardrobe. I sighed softly, bringing my hand up to touch my lips, then shook my head and grabbed my dress before hesitantly making my way towards the wardrobe doors and poking my head out to check Royce wouldn't be able to see me dash into the bathroom.
Luckily, Edward had had the sense to pull the door to behind him, shielding me from view, so I quickly made my way into the bathroom and shut the door behind me, deciding not to lock it since the odds of Edward allowing Royce to come in were pretty much zero.
I carefully folded my dress and placed it onto the counter, then stripped out of my underwear before tying my hair back to stop it getting wet when I showered. I brushed my teeth quickly, just in case I had a bad case of morning breath (though it was probably a little too late now if I did), then turned the shower on, twisting the dial so that water only came down from above on one side of the shower and came out through one of the handheld sprays as well.
Once the water was hot enough, I stepped in to the side without the overhead spray since I didn't want to get my hair wet, then washed my body as quickly as I could before grabbing my razor and shaving cream from one of the shelves so that I could shave my legs, underarms and 'tidy up downstairs'. I'd been to the salon to get a professional wax the day before I'd left for the compound, but since that was over a week ago now and I didn't want to wait and risk having one of the people here wax any part of me, I'd have to make do with what I could get.
I'd already shaved my underarms and bikini line and had just started on my second leg when Edward pushed open the shower doors and stepped in, completely naked. I startled slightly at the sight of him, then hissed in pain when I accidentally nicked myself with the razor.
"Fuck, I was doing so well until then!" I growled as Edward knelt down in front of me and gently cupped my calf with his hand to get a look at the cut.
"I'm sorry," he murmured softly. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"No, it's okay," I sighed, more angry with him than with myself. "I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings.
"Yeah, well, this shower tends to block out the outside world a lot," he replied. I looked down at him, his words hitting home in more ways than one, then swallowed when he gazed up into my eyes, his expression intense. "It's a blessing and a curse."
"Yeah," I mumbled weakly, unable to look away from him. "I know what you mean."
"Royce has invited us to lunch in his suite," he sighed after a moment. "I said we'd go."
"Okay…"
"He doesn't have cameras or mics in there," he told me softly. My eyes widened with surprise. "And Rosalie will be with him too."
"Will I get to talk to her?" I asked, feeling my heart start to race in my chest.
"Yes," he replied, smiling. "Royce wants to discuss what happened yesterday and…" He shook his head, moving to sit more comfortably as he gazed down at his lap. "It'll be best if you and Rosalie aren't in the room when that happens."
"I'm not leaving you," I protested, then surprised us both by moving to straddle his lap and cupping his cheeks in my hands. "You're not going to struggle through that alone. I won't let you."
"Baby, you have to," he replied, smiling sadly. "You need the alone time with Rosalie."
"But-"
"No buts, Bella," he murmured, touching his finger to my lips to silence me. "That's what's going to happen, and nothing you can do or say will change my mind."
"Edward…" I knew he was right. Of course I did. This was the perfect opportunity to talk to Rosalie and finally lay some groundwork that could hopefully help kick-start our escape plan, I knew that, but the thought of leaving Edward alone with Royce, who would glorify whatever had happened the previous night, was unbearable.
"I'll be okay, Bella," he assured me, then wrapped his arms around me, splaying his hands against my back.
"No, you won't," I mumbled, shaking my head. "You're not okay now, I can tell. You need physical contact with me because of it."
"That's not the only reason for it, Bella," he sighed, his gaze intensifying again.
"But it is the main one, isn't it?" I countered. "Last week, you would barely touch me when we were alone or weren't acting for the cameras, but now… Now you seem to need to." My voice softened as I came to a realization. "And it's all because what happened to you last night reopened some scars, didn't it?"
"Bella…"
"You don't have to tell me anything," I assured him, stroking his cheek with my thumb. "But I wish you would."
"I can't… burden you with this, Bella," he told me, his voice soft. "I won't let myself."
"It won't be a burden," I murmured. "I want to help you."
"You do help me," he replied, smiling. "Just by being you."
"All I do is ease the symptoms," I pointed out. "I don't prevent them."
"You help stop my nightmares," he confessed. I looked up at him in shock. "Last night, you brought me back from… that. You do more for me than you realize."
"But I could still do more. I know I could. You just have to let me in."
"I already have," he breathed, but before I could say anything more, he leaned in and kissed me softly. I knew he was just doing it to distract me, but for once, I decided to let him. I'd pushed hard enough for one day.
"If you need me after your talk with him," I whispered against his lips. "I'll be here for you."
"I know you will, baby," he replied, smiling. "And that's what I'm counting on."
"You ready?" Edward mumbled an hour later as we came to a stop outside Royce's suite door. I was shaking slightly, the memories of James' attack startlingly clear, but instead of chickening out, I simply squeezed Edward's hand and exhaled slowly. Edward entwined our fingers in response, furthering our contact, then squeezed my hand back as he raised his free fist and knocked sharply on the door.
It took less than three seconds for someone to open it.
"Hello." Rosalie…
"Good afternoon, Rose," Edward said softly, smiling at her. She gave him a weak smile back, then looked at me and opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Royce's booming voice.
"Edward! Bella!" Rosalie pulled the door open a little wider to allow us through, and as Edward stepped past her, pulling me along with him, I could have sworn he gently squeezed her hand.
"What perfect timing," Royce continued, oblivious to the moment between Edward and Rosalie. "Gianna just texted me to inform me that our lunches will be brought up shortly. I was just about to come over and let you know." He stepped forwards, wearing a shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of slacks, which seemed odd to me since this was something that was supposed to be casual; Edward and I had both dressed down because of it.
"How's the shoulder?" he asked as he shook Edward's hand and clapped him on the back once. "Not too serious, I hope?"
"Didyme thinks it'll heal just fine," Edward replied, his voice slightly strained. I squeezed his hand, and wasn't surprised when he squeezed right back and pulled me closer to him.
"And you, my dear Isabella?" Royce said, turning to me with an eerie smile on his face. "Fully recovered from your sickness last week, I hope?"
"Y-Yes, thank you," I told him, forcing myself to smile back at him as he stepped forwards to kiss my cheek. He lingered there a second more than was comfortable, then stepped back and gestured towards two two-seater couches in the corner of the room.
"Please, do sit down," he said warmly, smiling once again. Edward nodded and pulled me along behind him as we moved over to the couches since I was too busy gawping at the sheer size of Royce's suite – which was more like a fucking apartment than anything else – to really pay attention to where we were going.
"Rosalie, you can join us," Royce called as he sat down on the couch opposite Edward and I, and if it weren't for the fact that Edward chose that moment to wrap his arm around my shoulders and kiss the top of my head, I'd have been tempted to punch Royce in the face. What a bastard.
Rosalie quickly made her way over to us, her eyes cast down to the floor, and instead of sitting on the couch like the rest of us, she went to kneel before Royce.
"You may sit on the couch," Royce told her, reaching out a hand to stop her from kneeling. Rosalie swallowed hard, nodding, then timidly sat down on the couch, putting some distance between her and Royce without it being too obvious she was doing so.
"So, I was thinking that after lunch, you and I could talk, Edward?" Royce asked, looking up at us.
"Sounds good," Edward replied, nodding his head. I leaned further in to him and placed my hand on his thigh, feeling how tense he was beneath me.
"Rosalie, you can take Bella to our room while we talk if you wish?" Royce offered, though we all knew it was more of a command than anything else. "I'm sure you two can find something to talk about."
"Sounds great," I told him, smiling weakly at Rosalie, who merely nodded. Edward pressed his lips to my hair, and his free hand moved to cover the one that was on his thigh, squeezing gently. I let my fingers slide between his, then curved them in towards my palm, not quite holding his but not just letting them rest there limply either.
After a few moments of somewhat awkward silence, there was a loud knock at the door, and Royce called out for whoever it was to come in. I vaguely wondered how they'd be able to since the door had been locked behind us, but then I remembered that most the assistants here seemed to have a master key of some kind – a few days ago, our sheets and towels had been changed while Edward and I were in the shower even though we hadn't told them to. It made sense that Royce would have people do the same thing for him.
Sure enough, just seconds later, Jessica and Lauren (two of the dancers from the den) walked in with trays of food in their hands and carefully placed them down on the coffee table between the couches, both of them shooting flirtatious glances at Royce as they did so. I clenched my free hand into a fist when Royce reached for one of the plates on the tray nearest to him, his hand 'accidentally' brushing against Jessica's thigh as he did so. The brunette blushed, then smiled at him before quickly following Lauren out the room and shutting the door behind her.
Rosalie had watched the entire exchange impassively, making it clear that he did this often and without shame. Evidently, dominance over just one victim wasn't enough to get Royce off. It didn't surprise me – men like him strived on feeling powerful and making others seem powerless.
"I wasn't sure what you'd like," Royce told Edward and I as he handed his plate to Rosalie, who promptly starting dishing him up some food. "So I ordered samples of everything just in case."
"It looks wonderful," Edward replied, then squeezed my hand gently before reaching for a plate of his own.
"Yes, it does," I added, smiling up at Royce, who ran his tongue over his bottom lip. I swallowed back the bile that threatened to rise up in my throat at the innuendo, then tried to distract myself by serving myself a small amount of food. I wasn't very hungry – which wasn't surprising considering our company – so I just picked at my food while Rosalie fed Royce and Edward absently ate the occasional bite of a sandwich and some hors d'oeuvres.
Edward and Royce made small talk during the meal, but I neither wanted nor cared to try and engage in a conversation with either of them, not while Rosalie was sitting there being treated like Royce's personal slave. It disgusted me.
After about ten tortuously long minutes, though, Royce seemed to have had his fill of food, and since both Edward and I had stopped eating several minutes beforehand, he signaled for Rosalie to tidy the plates away while he leaned back against the couch and watched her.
"Would you like some help?" I asked her, reaching forwards on reflex, but was stopped by Royce, who placed his hand on top of mine to still it. It took everything I had in me to stop myself from shuddering at his touch.
"She can manage just fine on her own, Bella," he said firmly, but kept his tone warm. "Can't you, Rosalie?"
Rosalie nodded, but didn't look up. Royce smirked at me, then leaned back against the couch again and stretched his arm out across the back of it.
"So, Edward," he began, looking directly at him. "Did you hear the news about the Denali's?"
"No," Edward replied, seeming surprised. I swallowed hard, knowing I wouldn't want to hear this story. "What's happened?"
"It looks like they're still causing problems for us," Royce told him, rolling his eyes. "They're resilient fuckers. Apparently Felix and Demetri missed a spot. Several, actually."
"I bet Aro's pissed," Edward replied. "Who did they miss?"
"The middle sister, Kate," Royce sighed. "Apparently her, her husband and their daughter managed to escape undetected."
"Jesus." Edward shook his head and squeezed my hand gently before asking, "How the fuck did they manage that?"
"They had nothing to do with the initial claim," Royce explained, then wrapped his arm tightly around Rosalie's shoulders when she sat down next to him again. "And by the time we realized they were the missing pieces of the puzzle, they'd fucked off somewhere and are nowhere to be found."
"Who's Aro got on this?" Edward asked, looking genuinely curious.
"Felix and Demetri, of course," Royce told him, "and he's also got Riley from Caius' division going as well since he was the one to figure out what was going on. Jane and Alec are getting called in too."
Edward sucked in a breath. "Ouch."
"Who are Jane and Alec?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"They're our… pain experts," Royce replied, smirking.
"Oh…" I mumbled. "So they're gonna, like, torture them if we find them?"
"It's not a case of if, Isabella," Royce murmured. "It's when."
I nodded, smiling weakly at him, and when he smirked proudly back at me, I knew he'd caught my deliberate use of the term 'we'.
"Well, anyway, enough about them." Royce moved his arm from around Rosalie and leaned forwards, looking straight at Edward. "We have other, more important things to discuss, don't you agree?"
"Definitely," Edward replied, then turned to gaze into my eyes. "Bella, why don't you and Rosalie go talk for a bit?"
"Oh, okay," I said softly, squeezing his hand. It was time.
"We'll come get you when we're done talking," he assured me, then let go of my hand to allow me to stand up. I brushed my dress down at the front to get rid of any crumbs, then made to follow Rosalie, who had also risen and taken a few steps away from the couch.
"Come back here," Edward chided softly, then tugged on my hand to get me to face him again. I frowned for a moment, confused, then smiled when he coaxed me to lean over slightly so he could cup my cheeks in his hands.
"I love you," he murmured, then leaned in to kiss me gently.
"I love you, too," I replied, keeping my tone light despite the worry I was feeling on his behalf, then grinned when he let me stand up straight again. "See you in a bit."
I waved in Royce's direction, and he and Edward both watched as I followed Rosalie across the room to a door that was slightly ajar. Rosalie pushed it open, then stood aside to allow me to come in before shutting the door behind us.
I looked around the room in shock. It seemed… tame. I hadn't known what to expect, but I would never in a million years have guessed it would be like this; just a four-poster bed, several chests of drawers, a desk… no torture devices, no hooks hanging from the ceiling… it looked like a regular bedroom, albeit a luxurious one.
And, to my surprise, it even had a frosted glass window. I smiled to myself, knowing this was my perfect opportunity, then walked over to it, trying to act casual. This was it.
"Makes you miss home, doesn't it?" I told Rosalie as I turned to look at her, feeling my heart pound in my chest. Please remember. "Seattle is lovely this time of year."
Her eyes shot up to lock onto mine, her mouth dropping open in shock.
She remembered.